Forget Me Not
by Reensie17
Summary: Wing keeps on getting repeated dreams of his parents and his past. But what he doesn't realize is that they are actually messages, from his insane father. Cypher's hiding something. But what? Spoiler free for those who haven't read past Overlord Protocal.
1. The Continuous Dream

**Hello! This is my first fanfiction so I hope you enjoy it! **

**Disclaimer: I owe nothing but An Lan. Mark Walden owns everything else.**

**I'd also like to thank my 'editor' jjstar12 who helped me a lot with this story and edit it for me. **

**Also, I understand if my story is a smidge off-canon. But a little off-canon here or there makes a fanfiction more interesting. :)**

***Update:* I am truly sorry if this chapter didn't make very much sense before. I had a bit of structure issues when I downloaded this chapter. Some how the Doc Manager messed up the chapter... Anyways. I hope it's fixed. If not PM me :) Thanks Tam for pointing that problem out. And for anyone who does not know what in the world I am talking about: Just read the story. ;)**

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_"Wing, be careful." Xiu Mei had to steady her young boy after he clumsily tripped over a curb._

_Wing and his mother were taking their morning walk around the block. Xiu Mei never had any time to exercise, especially since she started putting all her time into her work at the lab. Nowadays, she practically lived there! It broke her heart not being able to spend time with her two-year-old son. So every morning before work she took some time to be with Wing. _

_"Sorry mother," Wing replied apologetically._

_"It's alright son, but I do not want you to come into any harm." Xiu Mei was silent for a moment. "Hmm. Perhaps I shall get An Lan to enroll you in karate. That should put some grace in your step!" She smiled affectionately at him, "My, you are a beautiful boy!"_

_Xiu Mei was quite beautiful herself. She was tall, thin, but with an athletic build, and had shoulder length, straight jet-black hair. Her face was pale and she had very soft features that made her look friendly and young. In truth she was very loving and friendly to others, but she was not as young as her face portrayed. She had warm honey coloured eyes, a high forehead, small nose and thin, naturally pink lips. In general she was perfect. The only thing that proved otherwise was the worry lines that ran deep on her face. _

_Currently, Wing was taking in all the sights and sounds around him, observing his environment and not paying as much attention to his step. He was a very blundering and curious boy. Xiu Mei was always looking out for him when she could. But Wing was a polite and sweet person at that. He had adopted many of his mother's traits, even at a young age, such as incredibly thin lips and a high forehead. Wing also had big sincere eyes, but unlike his mother's they were dark, and almost black. That he got from his grandfather. _

_"_Ah! My grandfather!_" The two year old thought suddenly when looking into his mother's caring eyes. Wing hadn't seen him in months! What happened to him?_

_Wing spoke out innocently, "Mother." Xiu Mei looked at her son expectantly. Wing had a questioning look on his face. "Whatever happened to grandfather?"_

_Tears gathered in Xiu Mei's eyes. "She never cries,"Wing thought, something must be wrong. She stopped walking, (they were at the lab anyway,) bent down to Wing's height and looked him in the eyes._

_"Wing, your grandfather is dead. He died last week. He was involved in something bad that got him killed," she said bravely, forcing back tears. Wing couldn't believe it. Why? How? He was too shocked to ask._

_"Xiu Mei!" someone called from ahead of them. It was Wing's father, Mao Fanchu. "I see that you are finished with the boy. We need to get to work immediately; Nero is coming for an inspection then if everything goes accordingly we will demonstrate for the counsel." At the word Nero, he winced. Wing had never met Nero and he wasn't much interested in meeting him anyways._

_"Alright, I'll just be a minute, but tell Sylvie to warm up the protocol." He nodded in response and vacantly said goodbye to Wing. Wing felt that his father favored his work more than his son._

_"Wing, An Lan is going to drive you home OK? Then around dinnertime I will see if I can come visit you. I hope to see you later!" she kissed him on the cheek and hurried inside._

_An Lan showed up minutes later in her black car. An Lan was the family's maid and Wing's best friend. Being only 21 years old, __she was bubbly and very was also very intelligent but had no luck settling in a more intellectual job, so she happily took the maid job as a second choice. An Lan was always looking for other part-time jobs for when she wasn't looking after Wing._

_During the 20-minute ride to the house, Wing thought about his parents and their work. Xiu Mei had told him a story about when she was younger and she was involved in a big project that went rogue. Xiu Mei and Mao Fanchu had nearly gotten killed! Thankfully, they both escaped with few injuries. Ever since that incident, Wing's mother and father were very cautious and very into their work (by his father's words). They had to do everything perfect or something could go terribly wrong . . ._

/*\

Wing suddenly woke covered in a cold sweat and out of breath. He mentally reminded himself to relax, focus, and perform the breathing exercises that his sensei from Japan had taught him. The Asian boy pondered what just happened.

"_It's that dream again. Why do I keep on having this memory played over and over again?_" Maybe his parents were sending him a message. "_No,_" Wing thought, "_That can't be it._"

Wing's insane father was dead, by Nero's words and his mother died a while ago.

Or did she?

Yes, she was dead. Wing knew that for sure. So that definitely crossed out "secret message" as a possibility. As Wing was thinking, in the back of his brain he could Otto's soft snoring.

"_Hmm, and he says I snore!_" Wing rolled his eyes but out of nowhere a solution to his dreams came to mind.

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**And what is that solution? You'll find out soon!**

**R&R **

**xD**


	2. Weary Memories Come with Practise

**The second chapter! Woohoo! :D**

**Mark owns everything.**

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Homesick. Wing was missing his life outside of H.I.V.E. But why? His life _is_ H.I.V.E. now. There was nothing exciting at home, and there never will be. Though there was An Lan. He had forgotten all about her. An Lan was probably the head of her _Ruka_ business. An Lan had always loved flowers, especially blue tulips. Those were her favourite. When Wing was four, An Lan got a part time job at a flower shop. Every Sunday morning she would bring Wing a different flower. That was how Wing got his love for flowers. His favourite was the Calla Lily. But of course, none of his friends knew about this. What would say if they knew that the quiet ninja, Wing, had a soft side? "_What would Shelby think?"_ Wing pondered this for a moment but realized that he was off-topic.

What about Lao, his family's groundsman? Maybe, but that's only one of the people Wing knew. Lao was like the father he never had. But if Wing was missing Lao, then shouldn't he be having dreams about him? The only people in his repeating dreams were An Lan, and his parents.

"_That's it! My parents!"_ But why in the world would Wing ever miss his mental father, the person who almost killed him, who never cared for his son like how a father should, or treated as fairly his wife or his work? Why, his father had treated Wing like he was an annoying fly on the wall! "_Definitely not him._" Never in his life would Wing miss his father. It had to be Xiu Mei; his loving, caring mother. Wing hadn't seen her in years. Nine years to be exact. Wing shook the depressing memory of his final meeting with his mother out of his head.

Wing sat up and checked his blackbox. It read 4:28 AM. "_Well, it's too late now to go back to sleep, but still too early to get ready for class,_" Wing thought. "_Perhaps I should go down to the training area and review what Raven taught me yesterday._"

Wing quietly changed and left Otto to his slumbers. "_Class isn't until 9:00, so I have plenty of time." _Wing was still thinking to himself when he quietly shut the dorm door behind him.

Taking the sleek, white elevator that separated Wing and Otto's room from Laura and Shelby's room, Wing went down. The elevator's lights weren't on so the compartment was very dark and noisy in the early morning. Suddenly, Wing sensed movement in the corner of his eye. Whipping around, he saw… nothing, absolutely nothing. The elevator doors opened and Wing ran out rapidly and hurried to the training area.

Assuming a fighting stance, Wing practiced for a solid 30 minutes before he wanted to sit. Of course, Wing could have done more, but he wanted to take a moment to think. That moment was soon interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey Wing."

Wing heard a voice come from behind him, then light breathing on the back of his neck. But he knew it was no threat, well, technically speaking.

"Hello Shelby." Wing replied without turning around. Shelby came over and sat down beside him on the black leather couch.

"Sorry to scare you in the elevator," Shelby said, smirking.

"That was you?"

"Yup, I finally scared the fearless, tall, ninja who seems to love showing off at 5 AM!"

"I wasn't showing off my moves, I was practising and I wasn't scared, I was simply alarmed," Wing corrected calmly.

"Mmmm, sure you were," She smugly stated, not giving up her side of the story.

"Well what were _you_ doing? Spying on me or watching me?"

Shelby turned pale. She knew that both answers led to an awkward situation.

"Neither. I just couldn't sleep so I came down here to… umm… I dunno, waste my time?"

"By watching me?"

"Fine Fanchu, I admit that I was watching you, but only because I admire how graceful your fighting is." Shelby said grudgingly.

Shelby then, (to Wing's surprise,) smiled, so Wing knew that she meant what she said. "_Odd, Shelby's usually quite sarcastic, but maybe that is different now because it is early in the morning."_ He sat there silently, completely impassive, immobile, and oblivious to the admiring girl right beside him.

But all of a sudden, she frowned and stared at him deeply and asked, "Wing, why won't you smile?"

Shelby voiced the one question that tore at his heart.

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_"Wing, your mother informed me that you are learning karate." This was one of the only times Wing's father regarded him with a real conversation._

_"Yes Father, I am," replied the young Asian boy, bowing._

_"Are you doing well?" the boy's father questioned._

_"Yes Father, I believe so."_

_"Show me something that you have learned. Attack me."_

_"No Father, I could never attack you." The surprised four-year old respected his father, and were confused at his words. _

_"That was an order!" Mao Fanchu snapped, like a sergeant in the military._

_Wing hesitated for a second, and then dutifully attacked his father. Though Wing was very skillful and swift, Wing's father defended it easily._

_"No Wing, that is wrong! If you want to be successful you must show no emotion to your enemies!" Mao shook his head, disappointed, despite the fact that Wing had executed the move perfectly._

_"But Father, you are not my enemy!" The little boy gazed wide-eyed at his unsatisfied father._

_"I realize that! But this rule applies with everyone! You do not always know who is on your side and who isn't. Emotions are a weakness and a waste of time!" The child's father turned, and walked away from his shell-shocked son. "I hope today you have learned this lesson."_

_This struck him incredibly hard. Wing was very emotional and sensitive, so how could he just give it all up? He must try though, for his father. "_If I follow my father's advice, perhaps then he will notice and love me more._" After that thought, Wing must try. He must try for him..._

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**Ooh something is going on between Wing and Shelby xD**

**And look! Father and son were bonding!**

**Hmm. What will happen next?**

**R&R please (: I really do appreciate it!**


	3. Not Everyone Loves Dessert

**Finally! A new chapter!**

**And two reviews? You guys aren't very motivating….**

**Haha joking! But some more reviews would get me to write faster…**

**OK on with the story!**

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"So you're having dreams about your parents and your maid?" Otto confirmed at breakfast.

"Wait, you had a _maid_?" Shelby interrupted, clearly not seeing the point of this conversation.

Wing had just explained his recent recurring dreams to his closest friends; Otto, Laura and Shelby. After he finished Laura had a concerned look on her face, but she was always the sympathetic one. Otto and Shelby had a bored look on their faces. They didn't find anything strange about this, unlike Wing who had an uneasy feeling about them. Right now, Wing favoured Laura.

"Yes Otto, he just told you!" Laura scowled paying no attention to Shelby.

"So? There is nothing wrong with it. I always have dreams about my life before H.I.V.E.," Otto said indifferently, while picking at his cereal.

"But I'm having them consistently. And they are so real. It was like they were actually talking to me. It's unusual!" Wing started to have an annoyed tone to his urgent voice.

"Well I, for one, believe that something _is_ wrong! And I'm gonna help Wing figure it out!" Laura declared, taking charge of the situation.

"Well you don't have much of a choice now do you?" Otto said knowingly, "You owe Wing for getting you out of the Colonel's class so you could watch him in his training with Raven."

"How—not true!" Laura replied. "I gave him my chocolate cake yesterday! So technically we are even!"

"Wing doesn't eat dessert. He never touches it," said Shelby unaware of the others' sudden raised eyebrows. She looked up after finishing her orange juice and quickly added, "What I meant was, for tough guys like Fanchu here, they can't be bothered with desserts. Plus he has given me plenty of his desserts in the past—willingly!" She added in that last word when everyone's gaze shifted to Wing. When they finally looked back to Shelby they found her taking a sudden interest in her cereal, trying to hide the blood that just rushed to her cheeks.

"Shelby's right. I've given her my dessert on tons of occasions. I don't need any of that garbage in my body," Wing said, not sure how to feel about her outburst.

"Who's the stalker now?" added an unhelpful Otto, smirking at Shelby for once.

"It's _surveillance_, not stalking, remember?" Laura joined in, unable to hold back a smile, "Well now it looks like I have a reason to help Wing that is to Otto's liking. Anybody else want to join the fun?" Laura announced dryly.

"I guess I'll join you guys, it's not like I have anything better to do," Shelby decided quickly, still trying to sound uninterested. It didn't fool Wing though. He knew that Shelby felt just as worried as Laura, maybe even more, if that was possible.

Everyone turned in unison to Otto.

He sighed. "Fine I will be Mr. Detective for you. But after this you guys owe me a break. All these adventures are making me tired!"

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Maximilian Nero was up early recounting a monthly progress report with the G.L.O.V.E. leader, Diabolus Darkdoom. Diabolus was a good friend of Nero, so Nero didn't have a problem with the meeting time being so… inconvenient.

"Hello Max," Diabolus greeted him with a friendly smile, "I'm sorry for this early meeting but right after finishing up here, I'm boarding a plane to—umm, well I actually don't know but I'm visiting Marco and you know how secretive he is."

"It's quite fine, Diabolus. I'm an early riser," Nero said with no expression on his face.

Nero then informed him of all the happenings of H.I.V.E. from the past month. Everything seemed pretty normal except the student intake, which was the lowest that Nero had ever seen in his career.

"Well that all seems to be up to standard, as always Max. I'm sure that you will have everything under control while I'm away. And don't worry about the student intake; it's not a big deal. Thank you for that report. I better be off now." Diabolus said in a hurry.

"Yes, goodbye, Diabolus," Nero said calmly. He turned off the screen that he was using to communicate with Darkdoom. Immediately after, he heard a knock on his door.

"Enter." Nero leaned back in his chair.

It was the Head of Security, Chief Lewis.

"Hello sir. Sorry to barge in like this, but I have some very pressing news," The chief waited for Nero to acknowledge this.

Nero gestured for him to continue.

"My team of men currently guarding Cypher has said that he has been disruptive lately because he has been talking in his sleep."

"Well, what is the problem with that?" Nero inquired, skeptically.

"That's the thing sir. We think he is contacting someone," Chief Lewis replied looking nervous.

"Alright then, I will check on him right now." With that, Nero dismissed Chief Lewis and followed him out.

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The cell that Cypher was being held in was in the very depths of H.I.V.E. It has been a secret that only the headmaster and top security guards know. The less people that knew about it, the better.

Chief Lewis knew that it was dangerous, if not, impossible to travel down that far in any other volcano, but H.I.V.E. was an exception. The volcano was at least 50km deep. He remembered when G.L.O.V.E. had first discovered the volcano. They had sent several expensive hi-tech robots to determine the depth of the island, and the deepest they went was 50km before our technicians lost the signal. Those half finished experiments made the Chief a bit paranoid. He was grateful to whoever made the Abysmal Alcoves (what the security team calls the deepest cells,) for making them at 20km deep, not 50km. Nonetheless, the elevator ride wasn't any more bearable. With the elevator car moving at about 20km/hour, he estimated that it would take at least one hour, if not more, to make it to the Abysmal Alcoves.

"_Oh boy,_" the Chief thought wearily, "_This is going to be a long ride._"

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**Did you like this chapter? Or did you hate it? How in the world am I suppose to know? Unless…**

**R&R (: **


	4. Dream Invasion 101: Teacher: Cypher

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been posting more chapters but school has been busy with exams and all -.- **

**But here it is! The next chapter!**

**I also give a shout out to the people who have reviewed the story, Thank you so much :D I honestly wrote this for feedback on my writing so keep it up!**

***Note* ****This was suppose to come out in September but JJ and I have had title's block for the whole time!**

_***Note from my editor, jjstar12* Gibberish, The language of the ELITE!**_

**I have no idea what that means.**

**Well we hope you enjoy!**

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Wing was alone in a valley. Green foliage bloomed around him as he sat peacefully in a perfect circle of chopped, jade-toned grass. He was meditating. If anyone saw him they would think that he was sleeping.

Wing figured that since these were his dreams, he could control the weather, the scene _and_ whether or not his parents show up. "_Today they will not_," Wing thought, determined.

And that's exactly what Wing was trying to do.

He didn't want his parents to disappear from his dreams forever, but he wanted to block them out today. Though being able to control your dreams seems like an amazing gift, it takes a lot of control and balance, attributes he wouldn't have if it weren't for his sensei. But it takes a lot of concentration, and most times, sleep is when you just want to relax. If Wing could make his parents disappear by using his mind, then he knew that they were only dreams. But if he really struggled trying to make them go away, then Wing knew that it had to be something much more serious.

Suddenly, Wing felt movement from behind him.

It was the time for him to test his theory.

He opened his eyes and there was his father.

Wu Zhang was sleeping. But with a trained eye you could tell he was actually faking. Nero had a trained eye.

Wing closed his eyes and tried with all his might to make sure that he was once more alone. But it wasn't working. He started panicking. Reluctantly opening his eyes, Wing saw the one man in the world who had _ever_ intimidated Wing.  
Cypher looked annoyed, "Wing, stop that. You cannot get rid of me."

"Whatever do you mean father?" Wing asked innocently, trying a different tactic.

"You do not fool me Wing! I must tell you something." Cypher spat in haste.

"No Father! You must leave!" Wing spoke firm, desperately trying to execute his second plan.

"W-" Right at that moment a distant noise filled the dream.

_BANG! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!_

The screeching sound of metal on metal filled the dream. It sounded like the noise was being amplified over a stereo.

"Damn!" Cypher yelled, "I told them to be quiet when I slumbered!" The irritated man looked around at something Wing could not see.

"Wake him!" a familiar voice echoed.

Wing looked around to see where the voice came from. When the owner of the voice didn't appear, he turned back to his father only to find himself alone.

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**Short chapter eh?**

**Don't worry I'm working very fast on the next one and it should be out soon. Hopefully...**

**xD**


	5. Cypher Consults With Himself

**From The Underrated Editor (jjstar12):**

**So I have the honor of writing this? Seems like a chore. Another responsibility for me to procrastinate. And I thought procrastinating was the author's job. Or maybe I can use this space as a place to vent. . . But I think I'll spare everyone by not explaining how I ran out of Oreos.**

**Anyways, I believe I am writing this note a month late, give or take a couple of weeks. So yeah, with no further delay, here you go: the next exciting but horribly written but AMAZINGLY edited HIVE fanfiction chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I unfortunately DO NOT OWN any of the following characters in the story below. IF I did own them would make them do the macarena while wearing stilettos, a pink spandex suit with unicorns, and a Justin Bieber wig.**  
**Wait, I can still make them do it. . . Seeing as I can control their actions. . .**

***devilish grin***

**jjstar12: Ready for some fun guys?**  
**Otto, Wing, Laura, Shelby, Nigel, Dr Nero, Raven, and Cypher: We hate you.**  
**Franz: I am thinking this is sounding like fun!**

**Oh, and enjoy the story!**

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Cypher was shook awake brusquely. Furious, he glared weakly at Nero. His mind had fully recovered from the injuries that occurred a few years back, but his body was not fairing the same luck. He still had severe bruise marks everywhere, and his broken leg was being stubborn and simply refused to heal. During the incident, the injuries brought him on edge of life. But HIVE unfortunately had an excellent medical crew with state-of-the-art equipment. Now, thanks to them, Cypher was stuck in this prison, left to rot.

"Nero!" Cypher spat angrily, "What do you want!"

"That is no way to treat an old friend, Cypher." Nero responded calmly. "Besides, you have some talking to do."

"Does a friend lock the other up miles below the Earth? Does a friend rudely disturb the other during his rests? Does he accuse the other of doing something wrong?" Cypher asked, never tearing his glare from Nero.

"Oh don't act so innocent, Cypher. I know that you have been contacting someone. But what I didn't know was that you were trained in the art of Somnium Rapio." Nero confidently deciphered. _"Somnium Rapio," _He thought,_ "Takes only years to learn but takes decades to master. And it is Cypher we are talking about."_ Nero considered the thought.

"Somnium Rapio? You always have to say it the fancy way don't you, Nero?" Cypher sneered, "I always call it dream interpreting."

"Dream interpreting?" Nero scoffed, "More like dream invading!"

"You make it sound like a crime." Cypher was feeling unusually smug.

"I'm sure you wouldn't be aware of it, but Somnium Rapio is illegal in 56 countries across the world. Most countries don't even know of its existence, let alone the damage it can do!" Nero said accusingly. "You could be tortured for doing such a thing! And to a child is even worse! Their minds just can't take it!"

"What difference would it make anyways? You're torturing me enough." Cypher mumbled looking down at his injuries.

"I understand your discomfort, but Somnium Rapio is an extremely dangerous and unstable craft. One that's not meant to be tempered lightly with! You are harming yourself and even worse, Wing! He is skipping classes and meals to figure out what his supposed dreams mean. The boy thinks he's going crazy! Wing has been sent to the infirmary on numerous occasions because he has been complaining about raging migraines! Do you realize that you are killing your son?"

Cypher shot Nero a cold stare. "How could I realize anything from down here?" Then Cypher saw Nero's foreboding look, and he knew that Nero was being serious. "I didn't realize that I was killing him. The reason for all of this is because I need to talk to him."

"Normally I would sympathize and let you talk to him, but this time it is obviously about a very crucial matter, which makes me a bit interested to hear what you have to say. I will make a deal with you; if you want to speak to Wing then it must happen in a heavily guarded room under my supervision."

Cypher stared up at the defying look on Nero's, "Why would I make a deal with you? Besides this conversation has to be private. I wouldn't let anybody, let alone you, monitor it."

Nero watched Cypher undaunted. "It makes no difference to me. _I'm_ not the one who wants to talk to Wing."

Cypher carefully contemplated the situation in his head.

_What kind of mind games was Nero trying to play?_

_He obviously wants to hear the news but he is telling me the opposite._

_Why should I tell him? It has nothing to do with him. _

_Err... on the contrary. It does have something to do with him. _

_Hmm...yes it does! I could use that to my advantage. How about blackmail?_

_No, no, no. Nero won't fall for something so stupid as that. _

_Well what do you want to do, Cypher?_

_How about we just accept his damned offer?_

_I don't want to give him the satisfaction. Besides I can just tell Wing in his dreams. _

_Have you not heard what Nero said? Wing is on the verge of insanity because of us. _

_True, but who cares about the boy? I certainly don't. _

_Oh sure. That's definitely the truth. _

_Hey! Don't use sarcasm with me!_

_Why not? We are the same person!_

Nero regarded Cypher with curiosity. He hadn't given an answer to the offer that was posed five minutes ago. Not to mention during those five minutes, it looked as though he was consulting himself. His expressions changed rapidly from reasonable to fierce. _"That man is just a crazy fool," _Nero finally thought.

"Well Cypher, you look deep in thought," Nero said sarcastically. "If you cannot agree to my deal then I shall be leaving now." Nero turned and started to walk out.

"Wait! I accept!" Cypher's abrupt shout echoed in the enclosed room.

Nero looked back at Cypher's small and sullen face. His eyes flickered, "Great, I will set it up for this afternoon! I look forward to seeing you again." The chief and Nero left the cell without hesitation.

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**And the suspense builds!  
*Cue Toccata and Fugue in D Minor***

**Also, I think Reensie17 would appreciate it if you guys comment and stuff. Be nice, I don't think her big ego can take any blows. Lie if you must. =D**

**~jjstar12 (The Spectacular Editor)**

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A/N: Hey everyone! To clarify, that italicized section was Cypher consulting himself. I wanted to show his craziness and what really goes on when he's thinking. I understand if it's really confusing. Yes I know it was a short chapter, but believe me, the next one is really really long!

**So what did you think of JJ? She works very hard because my chapters are very rough when I send them to her. I don't really use adjectives or interesting words of any kind. So when I send the chapters to her she basically rewrites and polishes the whole thing. This Chapter, I let her write the author's note. If you liked her spunk ( I mean who wouldn't?) then tell me and I'll let her cameo or write the occasional character sketch for upcoming chapters! Also it's her Birthday today! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY JJ! xD**

**~Reensie17**


	6. Ma Chérie N'est Pas Timide

**A/N: WARNING: This author's note may contain references to fluff, rambling, sappiness and a note from an insane editor!**

**So here it is. The next chapter. This one, along with the seventh and eighth chapter are mostly filled with fluff. About 10% of this chapter actually has something to do with the main conflict. I yearn for fluff. I hope you do too. :D I'm introducing a new idea to HIVE and I'm still a little unsure of the whole thing. If you like it (or hate it) please review and tell me.**

**This chapter has been finished for quite awhile (3 months I think). My editor just sent me the revised copy a couple days ago. I have been technical editing it (spelling, grammar, italicizing etc.) and I feel that it's finished. Well, hopefully...**

**JJ and I have been ecstatic about all the reviews. Happy dances, cookies and balloons have been involved for each and every new review. xD Thanks! I especially appreciate all the support and comments about the fic so far. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read the fanfic! ;)**

**Note from JJ: ****FYI: I found out from an enlightening song that Sunday comes after Saturday, so I'm partying, partying, YEAH! Partying, partying, YEAH! I'm having so much fun, fun, fun, fun...**

**It's a amazing song, it helped me make some of the harder decisions in life, like which seat to take. Thank you, Rebecca Black.**

**Finally: Mon awesomeness est prouvé dans ce chapitre.**

**Enjoy! **

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"So what do you think the old cat is gonna make us do today?" Otto asked jokingly, huddled with Wing and Shelby around Laura's desk.

"Maybe she'll make us go through the maze…again. Ooh, or maybe she'll graciously let us explore the island."

"You wish. Leon would never let us do that! Only students in year five and six get to," Shelby smirked. Secretly Shelby also wished that Ms. Leon would show them something new, instead of making them do the same things over and over.

"Maybe she can make us an exception, for some _'enrichment'_ opportunities," Otto smiled deviously.

"Well whatever she ends up making is do, Wing and I will be amazing at it," Shelby said proudly. She looked at Wing for his agreement, only to find his poker-faced self.

"Do not act so confidant, Wraith, Ms. Leon is known for her surprises," Wing replied impassively.

"Aye, you never know what could happen with her," Laura said shaking her head.

"That's right, Miss Brand," Ms. Leon suddenly appeared on Laura's desk. Laura jumped out of her chair reflexively and knocked it down with a bang. She stepped out startled into Otto's arms. The both of them fell surprised to the unrelenting hard floor. Luckily Laura had the slightly softer landing pad of Otto.

"Owwww…" Otto and Laura groaned in unison. Wing and Shelby sat down in their seats calmly, unfazed by the appearance of their Stealth and Evasion teacher. The only sign that something had happened was the hint of a smirk playing on both their lips.

"As I was saying, in the real world you honestly do not know what will happen. And that's where the very likely possibility of surprise comes in," she glanced smugly at Otto and Laura who were quickly scrambling to get into their seats, satisfied with her entrance, "Fortunately, if you are working at GLOVE, you will be surrounded with good people who share your skill and talents. Hopefully they can keep you grounded."

As the white-furred cat leaped back onto her desk, the rest of the students whispered and giggled behind the backs of the two red-cheeked Alphas.

"Today we are trying something new. We are going to a place in HIVE called the 'sectors.' Usually this is only available for the higher years, but… I'm willing to take the chance." Ms. Leon looked around the room. "Yes, Miss Brand?" She called on Laura who was waving her hand in the air.

"What exactly are the sectors?"

"There are many sectors in the HIVE facility. How many? Well, nobody knows except Dr. Nero and I. And I intend to keep it that way. You shall know the sectors by their number. A sector is an area that simulates a place in the world. Today we are going into multiple sectors. Your job is to navigate though the city to complete a task that I'm going to give to each of you. Each task will be different per pair." Ms. Leon paused because everyone was buzzing about partners.

Shelby glanced at Otto, Laura and Wing. Otto was signalling Wing for partners. Wing's face was blank of expression as usual. He looked at Otto and shrugged. Then Wing turned to face Shelby. He raised his eyebrows. Shelby looked at Laura. She smiled at Shelby expectantly. Then Shelby felt Otto's eyes burn into her, trying to get her attention.

Shelby sighed. _Why do I always have to make the hard decisions? Brand probably wants me to go with her, I mean I'm her friend and all, but she'll just slow me down. I could go with Otto but he won't let me lead. I really want to be with Wing but I don't know if he wants to be my partner… erm I mean pair, in the, task._

"Of course," Ms. Leon shouted over the voices as they died down, "I have already chosen your partners. And I want no complaining. Don't worry though, I chose your partners according to skill level." Disappointment and relief filled the room. Shelby found herself smiling.

"Alright, instead of me yelling out the pairs, I have a list posted in the front and back of the room. As soon as you and your partner meet, come and see me. One more thing: there will be one group that has three people because we have an odd amount today. Okay go ahead."

Wing and Shelby stayed where they were while everyone else hurried to check the lists.

"So what's the chance that you and I are partners in crime?" Shelby asked grinning while walking over to Wing's desk.

"I would say pretty high," Wing said, as the corners of his mouth rose in a grin. "But, does it always have to be crime?"

"This IS HIVE."

"Point taken."

"This is gonna be a good class," Shelby said as she leaned on the desk, putting her weight onto her hands. She smiled at Wing.

"And why is that?" Wing laid his hand gently on Shelby's, so that his covered half of hers. She had hidden the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks, but the involuntary euphoric smile was harder.

"First of all, Laura falls into Otto, giving me an excuse to use all of my of 'I fell for you' jokes later. Secondly, this will be the easiest thing we've ever done. We're like the best at stealth and evasion. The rest of the class better be prepared to get their asses whooped!"

"Hey, not to be a downer on things but we don't even know if we are paired up yet," Wing said with a frown. The sudden change in tone surprised Shelby.

At that moment Laura appeared. Wing quickly withdrew his hand from Shelby's. Wing didn't notice the disappointed look that was on Shelby's face.

_What would Laura have said if she saw Shelby and I flirting? It would be utter humiliation,_ thought Wing.

"Agggghhhhh," Laura sighed deeply. She looked very annoyed.

"What's the matter? You didn't get paired with Otto?" Shelby teased while lifting her hands from Wing's desk. She took a glance at Wing before sitting down next to Laura. _He wouldn't touch my hand with Brand here anyways. Thanks buddy, for intruding our conversation_.

"No, I got paired with him alright," Laura grimaced, "He's off to get the task- our other member is with him."

"Who's your third member?" Wing asked.

"Franz."

Shelby suddenly bursted out in laughter. Wing even found himself smiling.

"Shut up, Shel! It's not funny. It's tragic! I mean how could Ms. Leon think that Franz is at my skill level?"

"I don't know, I heard he improved extraordinarily after the time he took down Colonel Francisco." Shelby loved to see how much she could annoy Laura.

"Well, he was hypnotized at the time! He was more vulnerable! Anyone could have taken him down!" Laura desperately tried to defend herself.

Even Wing joined the fun. "Like _you_?"

"Oh, just shut it." Laura exhaled exasperatingly.

Wing and Shelby exchanged amused looks and high-fived.

"By any chance did you look at the list for me or Wing?" asked Shelby switching topics.

"Puh-lease, Shelby, you already know you're with Wing."

"Did you check though?" Shelby added.

"Yes I did, so go get your task, and stop pestering me." Laura scowled at Shelby.

"Fine. But don't be so catty to the person who was thinking about introducing you to the guys on the water polo team," Shelby smiled and winked. She stood up with perfect posture and tapped Wing on the shoulder, "Come on Wing, let's get our task."

Wing and Shelby made their way across the room towards the fluffy, innocent-looking white cat.

The collar on her neck blinked a blue light and emitted a message. "Ahhhhhh, Trinity, Fanchu, my two best students. You two already knew you were paired didn't you? Well I just had to put you two together. The two of you combined will create a wonderful dynamic, especially with your… _chemistry_. This will be an interesting experiment, no?" Ms. Leon's expression turned into the smile of the Cheshire cat's. Wing and Shelby exchanged wary confused looks. "But just to warn you two, I designed this task to test your weaknesses. I made yours _especially_hard." Ms. Leon nodded towards a piece of paper on her desk," That's your task. Good luck."

Wing grabbed the paper off the desk and right before they turned to leave, Ms. Leon added," Oh, and by the way, you two are going first. You have forty minutes to get ready."

Shelby shuddered at the _uncat-like_smile, and wondered what Ms. Leon meant by dynamics and chemistry, but now was not the time.

As soon as Wing and Shelby found a quiet spot in the large room Wing read the task to himself. Shelby noticed him frown a bit.

"Well, are you going to share it with me or not?" she asked coyly.

"Here," Wing handed her the paper. There was something off about him…

"Okay, what's the matter Fanchu?"

"Nothing," he answered sharply. He hadn't been that obvious, had he?

"Yeah right. What's your deal?"

"I had another dream this morning. My father showed up," Wing said quietly.

"Again? I thought you were going to ditch your dad!" Shelby said. She knew that there was something else wrong besides the dreams but she didn't bother to ask.

"I tried Shel, I really did. I don't know how to get him out! But something really strange happened. I heard Nero's voice in my dream. Only he wasn't in the dream- it was just his voice."

"What did he say?"

"He said: 'Wake him!' I don't know what he meant by that. Was he trying to wake me?"

"Or Cypher?" Shelby suggested, deep in thought.

"Trinity, Fanchu, you have thirty-five minutes don't _waste_your time!" Ms. Leon called.

"Can we talk about this later Fanchu, we need to get to work," Shelby said determinedly. Inside though, she was glad Wing shared this small piece of information with her first.

"Wow, I never thought I would hear you say that," Wing said mockingly, shaking off the strong feeling that something was seriously wrong.

"Sector 2456: Toronto, Canada," Shelby read aloud, "That's awesome Wing! I used to go to Toronto every year! I know it off by heart."

"Toronto is a large city," Wing observed the map, "How can you memorize that?"

"I'm not as directionally challenged as you are Wing."

"Ouch, that _hurt_," Wing grasped his heart dramatically.

"Wow, this is like the first time you've ever said anything with feeling."

Wing smiled to himself. "Just read the rest. It gets interesting."

"Task: Take over the CN Tower," Shelby paused and raised her eyebrows. Then she continued," You will be given 10 000 Canadian dollars, a universal communicator each, 2 grappling hooks, 2 HALOs and 12 Allies that are placed around the city (located on the map,) 3 changes of clothing, scuba gear and 5 smoke bombs. Holy crap, that's a lot! Where do we get all of this?"

"I thought you'd be more excited of the task- not the supplies," Wing said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well then you _obviously _don't know me."

"Aren't you remotely worried about what we're suppose to do? We have to take over the CN Tower! We should make up a plan."

For the next twenty minutes Wing and Shelby spent their time discussing about strategy and their plan. In the remaining time, they went to get their supplies and learned how to use them.

"Okay everyone, you and your partner go sit at a desk. We are going to begin! Miss Trinity, Mr. Fanchu, are you ready?" Her sharp blue eyes flashed at Shelby and Wing. Shelby looked at Wing and he nodded slowly, "Good. Let's start then!"

A large projector screen appeared at the back of the class, "I need all of you to attach these trackers and cameras on your shirt, for security reasons. If you choose to change clothing then put the devices on the new clothing please. And don't even try to sabotage or cheat our equipment, you will be banned from the sectors," She automatically glared at Otto, "We will be viewing your every move. It's good for teaching and marking purposes,"

She faced the first pair, "I am sending you off with Philip, he will show you to the sector. Good luck, you two," Ms. Leon eyes flares back, and her snow white tail waving back and forth.

"She looks like my cat who had cancer," Shelby thought," Worried, sad and sick."

The pair clipped the tracker and camera on and followed Philip out the door. Philip had messy dirty blond hair and appeared to be in his early twenties. Overall he was a handsome person. Wing and Shelby walked behind him like they were under a spell. Suddenly, Shelby had an idea. It was dangerous but if it worked then Shelby might finally get what she wanted. She walked quickly up to Philip, leaving Wing's side. Wing was left striding confidently behind someone as attractive as Phillip. Which is a hard thing to achieve.

Shelby looked flirtatiously at Philip, "So, Philip, do you work out?"

"Mmm," he grunted. Either he was annoyed by her advances, or was used to it.

Shelby tried again, she put her hand on his arm, "Oh you deeefinately do. And it shows," she giggled.

"You know, most people just don't get it. But it takes a lot of work to maintain this," he gestured his body. He stopped walking and showed Shelby his muscles. Shelby awed girlishly. Wing just rolled his eyes.

"Can we keep moving, please? I want to get this over with," Wing growled through his teeth.

"What's the matter, Wing? _Jealous_of Peter?" Shelby said teasingly.

"No, I don't get jealous." Wing replied almost nonchalantly, slipping back into his detached self.

"Umm… My name is _Philip_. And we should continue walking." Philip replied nervously, thinking of the students watching and listening.

Shelby wasn't quite done yet; she needed to make one last hit on Phillip. Quite literally. Wing watched in Phillip's shadow as Shelby slinked beside the tall muscular blond and with her left hand gave him a smack on the derrière. For the whole Alpha class to see.

That was too much for Wing to handle. Wing's nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. He really wanted to get Shelby's attention off of Phillip. He specifically grabbed Shelby's right hand and said, "Come on, let's go and do this before one of us does something else we might regret and lose our so-called awesomeness." He smiled a bit to make it effective.

Shelby felt a warm tingly feeling when Wing grabbed her hand. Shelby immediately remembered that there was an audience watching and that she needed to give a satisfying performance, at least for herself. So reluctantly she recoiled her hand, raised her shoulders and lifted her chin to show her confidence. Playing hard-to-get. Always so frustrating for viewers when it happens in movies and TV shows. She walked smoothly into the elevator with the boys trailing behind her, confused, like lost puppy dogs. Well, her parents always said she was a great actress.

"No flashbacks, Shelby," She told herself. Shelby made a promise to herself that she would keep her past life repressed while being at HIVE. She quickly snapped back to reality when she saw Wing stare at her expectantly.

"Agreed. No drama, no regrets. We will talk about this later. Right now we have to take over Toronto. "

Wing smiled but inside he knew that Shelby was angry about something…he just had to figure out what.

The elevator beeped faintly and the doors rumbled open. Philip gestured the pair forward awkwardly. Wing and Shelby then stepped foot in Toronto.

* * *

"HIVEmind, could you please locate where student Fanchu is at the moment?" Nero asked briskly. It was first period for most students but Nero knew that the Alpha class had stealth and evasion the whole day. Just to make sure though, he needed to check the exact location to see if Wing could be easily pulled out of class to have a talk with his father.

"Certainly Dr. Nero. One moment please," HIVEmind's measured voice replied.

Suddenly there was a light knock on the door.

"Come in Natalya," Nero looked up from his blackbox.

Raven strode quickly into Nero's office. She stopped at the large mahogany desk and looked down into the dark knowing eyes of Dr. Nero, "You called for me, Max?"

Her black hair grew out, and it was now down to the corner of her mouth. The scar on the side of her face looked faint; as if she put on make up to cover it up. Her wine coloured lips curved into a tight smile as if she was contemplating something. But she definitely looked beautiful.

"Yes, Natalya, I have some… confidential business to attend to. I need your help."

"Well, Max, mayb-"

"Just a moment, Raven," Nero looked at his blackbox. HIVEmind was staring up at him.

"The process is complete sir. Student Fanchu is in sector 2456: The Toronto sector."

"Is he alone?" Nero inquired.

"No. I believe student Trinity is with him. Is that all, sir?"

"Almost. Can you input their trackers on my blackbox please?"

"Yes, I will download them immediately sir. Is that all?"

"Yes, HIVEmind, thank you." Nero snapped the screen shut. He turned back to a now impatient looking Raven, "I'm sorry, Natalya. As I was saying, I have to move someone in the underground cells up to the top so they can… have a conversation to someone special."

"Let me guess, Nero. Cypher wants to talk to Wing, so you are going to be bringing him into the sector to let them talk. But Trinity is his partner, so she needs to be distracted. And that's where I come in right?" she sighed.

"Natalya. It's as if you can read my mind," Nero grinned, "Here's where it gets interesting for you. Miss Trinity must not know what Wing is really doing. If she sees you, then she'll know that I'll be close by somewhere as well. So…" Nero was having a hard time sharing the other part of his plan. He knew that Raven would hate it and having the world's most deadliest assassin disagree with you, equals… well, death. Good thing she was loyal to him.

"So, I need a disguise," she said with feigned excitement, "What's the plan?"

Nero described everything that Raven need to do while she listened intently and nodded occasionally. The plan was a little unusual and rather unnecessary but Nero needed some fun in his life. Managing HIVE was always straight forward and strict. Who says he couldn't change things up once in a while? He was in charge after all. Instead of making Fanchu come to him, he's going to Fanchu.

"You understand everything?" Nero asked when he was finished explaining his redundant scheme.

"Yes, but aren't you concerned of Cypher? Letting him run wild around the school? Remembered what he did the first time to the school?"

"Who said he's going to have enough energy to run?" Nero smiled evilly.

"May I have the honours?" Raven glanced at the sleeper in his office with an odd longing.

"I'm sorry, Natalya, this time, it's my turn. I have a lot of anger built up from this man." Nero picked up the sleeper and felt satisfied gripping the cool form.

Raven smirked at his statement, which was definitely true. "I'll get into disguise. And separate the two immediately."

"The sooner the better, I will download their trackers onto your blackbox. Dismissed," Nero looked down at his blackbox to send the trackers to Raven and when he looked up, she was gone.

* * *

**So what did you think? Did you like the whole "Sectors" idea? **

**Final Note:**

**Soyez vous voir dans le septième chapitre!**

**Lire ****& ****examen s****il vous plaît****!**

**FRENCH: THE LANGUAGE OF THE AWESOME ! (and the Canadians)**


	7. Frazzled Fashions

**Hey everyone! So this chapter was planning on being posted a couple weeks ago but I instead chose to post my one-shot. **

**This is a slightly longer chapter (for your delight). The next couple chapters, I warn you, are going to be shorter. **

**Thank you sooo much to Fly and Alice for reviewing to the last chapter! I hope that this chapter will definitely not disappoint. I wuff you guys! :)**

**I have a question for everyone at the bottom. So when you finish reading, please answer!**

* * *

**I'm trying a more...creative disclaimer this time...**

**Otto: *Stares down at me* you know the drill!**

**Me: *Looks up* I'm busy eating my lemon meringue pie. Leave me alone.**

**Otto: What next? You have another Glee marathon? DO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Me: Actually no. More like a Pirates of the Carribean marathon.**

**Otto: Really? *Raises eyebrows* Hmm…maybe I'll join you.**

**Me: Too bad. You belong to Mark Walden and so does HIVE. So you can't go anywhere!**

**Otto: *Jumps up and down* HA! I GOT YOU TO DO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Me: So? I get to watch Johney Depp dressed up as a pirate! *sighsindelight***

**Otto: -_- Good point. **

**Me: Enjoy, ladies and gentlemen, FRAZZLED FASHIONS!**

**Otto: You better save some of that pie for me!**

* * *

"There it is," Wing gasped at the incredible view.

The imposing tower stood in front of them. They gazed up in awe. Shelby had seen this building many times before, but after being cut off of any civilization in many years, everything looked amazing, even if the city was fake.

"Okay, first things first, we need to get past security," Shelby reminded Wing.

"What happens if we don't make through security?"

Shelby stared at Wing; her eyes bore into his. This showed that she was being serious, "We improvise."

"Good enough for me."

Wing and Shelby strolled into the building. They had gotten further instruction and information from their allies that were scattered smartly across the city. Most of the people who they conversed with had been on the way to the tower, so the pair came to the conclusion that they had nothing to lose. Except, you know, maybe getting killed, as Wing said.

The allies proved to be most helpful in the end. In one hour they had already formulated a smart plan that should, in most cases, be a success.

They planned to be like any other "tourist couple", going to the CN tower to spend time with each other. Yes, they looked a little young, but there was always the immature, dropouts-in-love, cover. The guards would search through their bags, find nothing of suspicion and let them through. It was a foolproof plan because if it worked, then there would be nothing out of the ordinary. But there were three setbacks.

For one thing, fooling the guards into thinking they were a pair included acting, and Shelby, being Shelby of course, was fully capable of acting. Wing, on the other hand, was not. Fortunately, it was Shelby who came up with the solution: she would just have to do all the talking and Wing would have to simply stand there and try to act. Or maybe, even better, just not act, so they couldn't see how much Wing fails in acting.

Secondly, they had to disguise the items in their bag as, well, the exact opposite of what they were. In the end, this proved to be the easiest. Wing figured out that the communicators received in their bag had a item disguise option and soon all the items were scanned and morphed into less suspicious things.

The final problem, even though it may seem easy, was by far the hardest: disguises for the pair themselves.

They had tried using the disguise tool at one of the ally safe houses, but it didn't end up well. They had checked their three changes of clothes but those were only extra jumpsuits. And they definitely weren't going to wear their scuba gear. This meant, to Wing's concern, that they had to bring out the money and go shopping. Shelby, at the time, was thrilled about this, seeing as it was her favourite past time, but after searching a couple of shops, it was growing clear that Wing was going to be very stubborn in this decision. Finally, he agreed on a simple labelled tee under a green hoodie with dark skinny jeans and blue converses. He had been very reluctant about wearing the jeans but Shelby insisted that they were "in style". But one thing that Wing strongly stood with was leaving his hair in that neat ponytail. Shelby wore a black tank top under a powder blue, off the shoulder, sweater with gray shorts (measured about mid thigh), and silver gladiators. After all of this shopping, Shelby deemed the pair, "bursting with style".

All of the setbacks and solutions ran through Wing's head. It seemed as though the plan would work, but he didn't want to get his hopes up.

"OK, I think security is that way," Shelby pointed to the crowd of people, who were hustling to into the shortest line, "This should be easy: all we need to do is get through a metal detector and past the baggage check, then we can move on to the next part of the plan."

Wing nodded, "But what about the couple thing? Do we still have to act like that once we get past the security?"

An irritated look crept onto Shelby's face, " Well... I don't know. If you want to," she looked up at Wing, trying so hard to hide the eagerness in her tone.

Wing looked down at her, "Um... yeah, I think we should, you know, just in case someone gets suspicious or something. It's probably the right thing to do," Wing rambled on, struggling to find the right words.

"Alright then," Shelby's said as her face suddenly lit up, "Um... I guess we should start now then?"

"Uh... yeah... sure," Wing awkwardly reached for Shelby's hand and gave it a squeeze before returning to a loose grip.

"OK, let's go," Shelby said, taking a deep breath. This could get interesting for them.

For the next half hour, Shelby and Wing spent their time in the security check line. But as they were doing this, Shelby couldn't help but think about the people that were all around them. Shelby glanced at girl with a chocolate ice cream cone in her hand. She was playfully skipping around her parents, and her parents were laughing and playing with her too. Shelby then looked at an elderly couple who were sitting on a bench. They were sharing what looked to be a hot dog. Next Shelby looked up, and through the glass ceiling, she saw sky. White, full and fluffy clouds, dotted the clear blue sky. There were birds crossing the sky in symmetrical patterns. All of it, everything and everyone looked so... real. Of course that wasn't possible. All of the "life" in this place were just machines. Robots. And all of the scenery was fake. Shelby just realized that Wing and herself were probably the only living things in this area.

* * *

Raven watched cautiously as Shelby and Wing were slowly moving through the line-up. She looked down at her ridiculous outfit in disgust. "A security guard. Seriously? They are subordinate in relation to my usual job." She rolled her eyes and fixed her navy collar. She wore a standard security uniform: a loose, cotton, button-up top, and matching, navy trousers. But one thing that she refused to trade, in her disguise, was her black combat boots. Her face was the hardest to change. To her disappointment, she had to use plenty of make up to cover those pesky scars of hers. She also changed her hair by putting it into a small, tight ponytail. When she looked in the mirror, she realized that, in way, she looked like a boy. "Humph. Well, that's a lovely compliment. Luckily, my ego isn't bruised by much," she thought sarcastically.

Raven reviewed the plan in her head as she continued to watch Shelby and Wing, intently.

She had called anonymously to the security team to inform them of Wing. Hopefully Professor Pike had programmed them well enough to follow tips. If everything else in her plan worked, then these robots would think that Wing was a menace that needed to be stopped. Meanwhile, she would sit back and watch until it was her time to distract Shelby. She only had to distract her for a couple of hours, enough time for Raven to transport Wing to the warehouse.

Then Wing and Cypher will have their... _talk._

She was still very suspicious about moving Cypher, but Nero had been plenty assured that it would be fine. Even though he tricked everybody in GLOVE not too long ago.

She sighed and muttered out loud, "The things I do for Nero."

* * *

"Shelby," Wing pulled Shelby out of her deep thoughts, "Shelby! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just doing a little thinking," Shelby answered quietly.

"OK, well we're at the front of the line, so we better start moving if we want to do this," Wing gestured her forward.

"Put your bag here, ma'am," the security guard pointed at the bag conveyer belt, "Good. Now step through this please."

Shelby's heart was beating rapidly as she step trough the metal detector. She was waiting for a piercing scream of beeps, saying that she was indeed armed. But instead she walked through soundlessly. They had done a great job concealing their equipment and evading the sensors.

"Okay you're good. Next," Shelby was filled with relief as she collected her bag and waited at the side of the area for Wing. But as she was waiting, she heard an interesting conversation coming from two security guards who were overlooking everything.

"Hey, John, doesn't that kid look a lot like that one description we got earlier today?" The woman regarded her colleague.

"He does. Tall, black-haired Asian, around sixteenish, hair in a ponytail. The only thing that doesn't match is the clothes. What did the description say?" John asked.

"It said a black jumpsuit. Who would ever think of wearing a black jumpsuit? I thought that tip was just a prank played by some delinquents, but now that I'm actually looking at him, I'd say we've got a match."

Shelby cursed almost inaudibly. Were these people supposed to add challenge to their already impossible task? It definitely sounded like Ms. Leon had something up her sleeve. Shelby looked toward Wing just as he walked through the metal detector, and like Shelby, he was okay. But at the same time, the guard who was checking his bag received a radio call. The guard nodded twice, looking at Wing the whole time.

Shelby nervously took a breath. Wing looked over and saw her staring at him and gave a quick smile in Shelby's direction. How could she warn him? Wing was obviously some sort of danger and security realized this. But Wing didn't.

Shelby was about to approach Wing when she saw a police officer walk up to Wing and say, "Stop right there, Mr. Fanchu. I'm afraid that you'll have to come with me."

Wing looked around with genuine confusion then said, "Excuse me? I didn't do anything out of the ordinary."

The man smirked, "That's what they all say. Now come with me, the Toronto police are looking for you."

"Wait!" Shelby yelled, "Let me come with him! He won't talk unless I come."

Shelby ran up to Wing but two security guards held her back before she could reach him. Wing saw this and a death glare crept onto his face. It was a mixture of anger and fear. He got into a fighting stance.

* * *

Raven saw Wing get into a stance.

_Shit_. She had forgotten about Wing's martial arts expertise.

"Time for me to intervene," she said to herself as she reached down to her hip. Her fingers were searching for that familiar rounded object that, when used, was the opposite of inconspicuous.

* * *

"Wing!" Shelby pleaded when she saw Wing's usual reaction, "Don't!"

Wing looked into Shelby's eyes and Wing suddenly understood. This is what Ms. Leon was talking about. He would always attack in a tough situation. He wouldn't stop and reason, especially if his friend was in danger.

"Come with us, Mr. Fanchu, and we'll let your girlfriend go without any charges," the police officer said gently.

Shelby broke free of the men holding her, "What charges can you possibly press?" she countered, "It's not like I did anything wrong. And what makes you think that he's scare of you charging me? I mean..." Shelby muttered off as soon as she saw the stern look on Wing's face. It was a mixture of frustration and annoyance. That basically meant that she had to shut up before she said something incredibly stupid. She was amazing at acting, but improv in a very tense and delicate situation was a little different than what she was used to.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a large explosion and Shelby, along with the two guards that were hovering near her, were knocked forcefully off their feet and into a cloud of unconsciousness. Smoke was sprayed everywhere. Wing, in the midst of this all, sprang forward towards Shelby. But before he even reached her, big meaty hands grabbed Wing around his waist. Wing kicked the person in the stomach and rolled to his side when the man released him. The mystery man growled and swung what looked like a club at him. Wing easily jumped over him and knocked the club out of the man's hands.

**ZAP! **

Wing fell to the ground, out cold. Above him was a woman, clad in a navy security uniform. Raven blew the tip of the smoking, enhanced-powered sleeper she was holding.

"I'm disappointed. You can't even tame a boy," she spat at the man, "I must do all the dirty work now, eh?"

Raven walked past the man, "Bring him onto the truck. And try not to mess it up again," She glanced at Shelby's crumpled form, "I've got to take care of Miss Trinity."

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Ms. Leon roared as she and her students were watching a smoke bomb rip unceasingly through the tower, "I definitely did not plan this!"

Ms. Leon and the students watched in horror as ribbons of smoke filled the screen and then, without warning, the screen went blank.

"Mr. Malpense, can you please switch to the other camera!" the furious teacher yelled, though still very polite. Otto did so but it was also blank. Both Shelby and Wing's camera were non-responsive.

Ms. Leon immediately sprang towards her black box, a black screen mounted above a platform on the wall. HIVEmind's solemn face appeared on the screen and Ms. Leon started to talk urgently to him.

Meanwhile, Otto, Laura, Franz and Nigel were silently soaking up the recent events. Otto broke the silence.

"This must be bad. Leon is totally frazzled."

"Frazzled?" Nigel sneered, "Are you making that up?"

"No! I've heard that word many times! Look it up in the dictionary." Otto stumbled quickly, unsure of this turn of conversation.

"I am thinking that I am going to find this dictionary now," Franz replied, "Frazzled is not being a word."

"I'll come with you. You probably don't even know how to use a dictionary," Nigel mumbled sarcastically. He glanced towards Otto then cocked his head towards Laura. Otto got the idea.

Laura was staring blankly at the black screen. She hadn't said a word yet. Her face was sullen, her amber hair, curled in spirals, was delicately draped behind her ears. Her blazing green eyes flashed as Otto approached her.

"Hey, Laura. You haven't said a word yet. Are you okay?" Otto asked gently.

Laura spoke smooth and calm but refused to turn to face Otto, "Yes. I guess I'm just a bit shocked."

Otto laid his hand on her shoulder, "Yeah. I am too. But knowing Wing and Shelby, they've probably got everything under control. Don't worry." He said reasonably to his friend. But the truth is, inside he had some doubts.

"Aye, it's just that—"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN CALM DOWN?" Everyone whipped their head over to where Ms. Leon was screaming viciously into her blackbox, "TWO OF MY BEST STUDENTS ARE TRAPPED IN A SECTOR! GO SEND A TEAM TO GET THEM OUT!" There was an awkward silence for a brief moment. "YOU CAN'T?" she suddenly realized her students staring at her. She took a deep breath and spoke quieter, "Okay then, send Chief Lewis so I can talk to him... alright...Goodbye."

Ms. Leon leaped away from the platform and onto her desk where she could properly confront her class, "Alright, we have about-" she glanced at the clock. It read 10:15. "Two hours until I have to dismiss you for lunch. Hmm. That's enough time for one of our... less capable groups to go."

She turned to a nervous girl with short brown hair and small blue eyes, "Miss Spade," Ms. Leon started, "You and your partner may go now."

"Come on Nigel, it's our turn," Carley Spade said as she collected her supplies and headed towards Nigel and Franz.

"Aww. But I'm teaching Franz how to use a dictionary!" he whined. But all the same, he got up and reluctantly went over to the door, where Philip was ready to escort them.

"Great. Now how do I be finding this 'frazzled' word?" Franz said desperately. Ms. Leon stared at him strangely for a while then reverted her attention back to the rest of her class.

"Okay for now we are going to watch and critique Mr. Darkdoom's and Miss Spade's performance. Mr. Malpense, can you please set up the camera screen?" Otto did so in about thirty seconds and the class was silent as they watched Nigel complain about not wanting to do this. Carley was trying to calm him down but she ended up getting so frustrated that she slapped him across the face. It was quite entertaining. But Otto couldn't help but think that it was Laura who he should have his attention on.

He turned to face her. Her pale skin glowed radiantly in the light from the screen and her eyes sparkled as she was watching intently. She looked... breathtaking.

"Laura," Otto laid his hand on hers, "I'm worried for them too."

Laura smiled and turned her hand over so that she could properly hold hands with him. They sat like that for a while until there was a was a sharp knock on the door.

The door opened and standing in the frame was Chief Lewis. He spoke directly to Ms Leon, "You wanted to see me Leon?"

"Yes. Yes. Let's go in the hall," Ms. Leon said hurriedly, "I will be back class. I expect you to be behaved and critiquing Nigel and Carley." Ms. Leon scurried out of the classroom behind the Chief.

Almost immediately after she left, the class went back to chatting loudly and ignoring the screen.

There was a small groan from behind Otto. Otto turned around and saw a disappointed looking Franz. He sat there with the dictionary in his lap, staring at it incredulously. Disappointed, Franz looked up at Otto and said, "Well it looks like frazzled is being a word after all!"

* * *

**Frazzled**_–adjective __**Informal **_**. **

**worn-out; fatigued.**

**Just if anyone was wondering ;)**

**Question: Has anyone been to the CN Tower or Toronto for that matter? Tell me what you think of it if you have.**

**(It's just a fun question that I was curious about)**

**Just for clarification, Nero's plan will be revealed in the next chapter…hopefully.**

**Hope you liked it!**

**See you in the next chapter!**

**~Reensie17 (^_^)**


	8. Otto, the Inconspicuous Sleuth

**A/N: IT'S HERE! The next chapter! Yes, yes JJ is NOT dead. She's just undead! Wait…does that mean that she **_**was**_** dead but she came back alive? Uh oh…**

**Well then…**

**Here's another thing: POLL RESULTS! And for all you people out there who are going 0.o "what poll…?" Well, I had a poll going on last week and the subject was, 'What are you most desperate to find out?' The choices were: Nero's plan, What happened to Shelby, What Cypher wants to tell Wing, EVERYTHING, and nothing. First off I would like to say that the poll went better then I expected and I give a big thank you and hug *hug* to everyone who participated! The winner is…drum roll please…What Cypher wants to tell Wing! Ehh I could have predicted **_**that**_**. Well good news for you! I have that scene in chapter 10 or 11, I still haven't decided. So it's coming soon. (Chapter 9 by the way is a short one filled with random goodness). **

**I'd also like to give a thanks and cookie (:) to Fly, Falcon, Alice and Mashy for reviewing chapter 7. I wuff you guys! ;)**

**Message from JJ: ****"DANCING PHALANGES!"**

**Umm…okay? Anyone want to explain that one to me?**

**I think I've done enough procrastinating...**

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: Warning: This fanfiction may or may not have mentionings of beavers, calla lilies, girlish screams, evil psychopaths, and an assassin driving an ice cream truck. **

**Otto: Some assembly required.**

**Me: What…? **

**Otto: Oops, wrong line. How about…Use only as directed. Do not go over the prescribed amount.**

**Me: Again…what?**

**Otto: Hmm…that one doesn't work either. What about this one: If you are experiencing any side effects, call your doctor immediately.**

**Wing: Otto, I think you are looking for this one: Reader's discretion is advised. **

**Me: Thank you Wing. Anyways…HIVE BELONGS TO THE SUPREME OVERLORD! Otherwise known as, Mark Walden! :D**

**Wing: Read and review please!**

**Otto: As seen on TV. One size fits all—**

**Wing: Otto stop.**

**Me: Enjoy!**

* * *

"Well Ms. Leon, I'm here. Now what's up?" Chief Lewis leaned again the wall opposite to the door.

"I'd like to know exactly what happened to my students," Ms. Leon mustered up all the cool that she had left in her body. She tried to sound respectful when the feline side of her wanted to turn the Chief into her new scratching post.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Leon, but I can't tell you that. I have strict orders from Nero to keep quiet," Chief Lewis always found it hard to take Ms. Leon seriously.

"I'm sorry as well, Chief, but I have reason to believe that one would be incapable to follow orders from a superior when they are. . . decapitated," Ms. Leon glared up at Chief Lewis. She flashed her claws out.

"Um. . . I'm not decapitated," the Chief replied nervously. The fluorescent light almost seemed to glint off the Persian cat's claws.

"Not now, but let me educate you on the many things I can do in this body," the pearly cat smiled deviously at her prey.

"Is that a threat, Leon?" he snarled. He wasn't going to be intimidated by a little kitty.

"Potentially. It depends on how you look at it," she raised her razor sharp claws, "Would you like to tell me about Mr. Fanchu and Miss Trinity or shall I let my instincts take over?"

Chief Lewis gulped and cautiously raised his hands in defeat, "Fine, I guess you do have a right to know. But you cannot tell anyone, otherwise Nero will get extremely angry."

Ms. Leon grinned with triumph. She had just snapped the trap.

(o.o)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
()_()

"Otto! What in the world are you doing?" Laura yelled at him through the chaos that filled the class.

"I'm inconspicuously overhearing a conversation that I shouldn't be listening to," Otto said simply. He was crouched by the door. Laura and Franz joined him.

"Eavesdropper," muttered Laura.

"I am not! I prefer sleuth!"

"That's the same thing!"

"Exactly, it just sounds awesomer!"

"Awesomer isn't a word."

"Shall I get our good friend Franz to look it up in the dictionary?"

"NO! Please don't be making me do that again! My brain is hurting!" Franz begged from beside Laura.

"Okay then shut it. I'm trying to listen."

"What are they talking about?"

"I'll tell you when I figure it out," Otto had his ear glued to the door and was trying to listen, "Okay I hear something about Nero, Wing, father, talking, Shelby in. . . mail? That's doesn't even make sense!"

"No, this is making perfect sense!" Franz exclaimed, "Dr. Nero is actually being Wing's father so they are talking about mailing Shelby to Canada!"

"Um. . . First of all: CYPHER is Wing's father, not Nero. Secondly: They are NOT mailing Shelby anywhere! Otto probably misheard. A lot of things rhyme with mail. And third: Canada? Really? Where did that come from?" Laura explained, exasperated.

Franz looked sheepishly at Laura, "Canada is being a bit creepy. Moose and beavers and such," Laura face palmed, "There is being a bad childhood experience in Canada!" Franz admitted.

"Of course, Franz. Only _you_ would have a bad childhood experience in _Canada_," Laura said rolling her eyes.

"Guys! Shut up! I'm trying to listen," Otto said.

"Right, like your hearing is so great. Let me listen," Laura leaned into the door.

"Well then, what do you think is being the case with Shelby and Wing?" Franz whispered.

"Well it's definitely serious! That's all I know," Laura replied.

"My story is serious!"

"Sure."

"Guys," Otto warned. "Shut your mouths."

(o.o)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
()_()

"Really?" Ms Leon said in bewilderment.

"Yeah. But remember not to repeat this to _anyone_." Chief Lewis hoped Nero would never find out.

"This secret is safe with me Chief, I can _assure_ you of that," Ms Leon flicked her voluminous tail at a sensor pad beside the door to her classroom. The door unlocked and opened. The two adults heard an 'oomph' and a scream. Ms. Leon and Chief Lewis peeked in to see Otto in the arms of Laura, both of them on the ground with Franz gaping at them. He was trying desperately to contain his laughter.

"Great!" Otto exclaimed, "This is the second time today that we've fallen into each other!" He glared at Franz, "Nobody tell Shelby or Wing, they'll probably try to crack some more jokes about this."

"Um, Otto, you mind getting up? No offense, but despite your scrawny appearance you are kinda heavy," Laura squeaked under Otto.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," Otto replied, slightly embarrassed. He quickly got off Laura and scrambled to his feet, where he saw Ms. Leon and Chief Lewis stare at him questioningly.

Ms. Leon gaped as much as a cat could. Finally, she broke the silence that was created throughout the class, "You know what? I don't want to know. I've had a busy morning. Let's just place our attention back on Mr. Darkroom and Miss Spade's assignment."

At that moment a scream was heard. Everyone whipped his or her heads towards the large screen. Nigel was dangling off a ledge and voice was calling his name.

"Nigel!" Carley tried to calm Nigel down.

"Ahh! I'm gonna die!" Nigel squeezed his eyes shut.

"Nigel! For goodness sake, just jump down!" She rolled her eyes.

"If I die then it's on your tab!" Nigel said dramatically. "I expect white calla lilies at my funeral!"

"Good to know," Carley smirked.

Nigel jumped down and fell for about two feet before landing awkwardly on his feet.

"Am I dead?" Nigel asked meekly.

"No. Open your eyes!"

Nigel opened his eyes and looked around, "Awesome! I'm not dead! Though at times I wish. . ."

Ms. Leon flicked the screen off, "On second thought, there's nothing to be learned from them."

(o.o)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
()_()

"Nero," Cypher growled, "Come out, come out where ever are."

"You really are mad, aren't you?" Nero asked smugly. He stood in the doorway of a very small room that resembled an office. It was brightly lit by several rods of light that shone brightly on the ceiling. On the far wall, was a large blackboard. Cypher, messy and frail, was on a cot trying to push himself up with what strength he still possessed.

"Where are we?" Cypher asked, ignoring Nero's insensitive jest. He took a glanced around the room but saw nothing familiar or something that gave a clue of location. He didn't even know the time of day!

"That is none of you concern," Nero started, "But if you must know, we are in a warehouse—"

"A HIVE safe house, no doubt," Cypher sneered.

"Actually no. This is a rather new and. . . unusual location. But it was the most convenient."

"Convenience, eh?" Cypher challenged, "Every think of _my_ convenience?" he looked around again, "How did I even get here in first place?"

"We knocked you out and brought you here," Nero explained simply, "There were a few _security measures_ that we had to take care of but nothing too serious."

"What am I even here for?" Cypher wondered.

"Remember Cypher, it was _you_ who wanted to talk to Wing in the first place, not _me_. But if you are having second thoughts, then I wouldn't mind—"

"Hold it Nero, I want to talk to my son."

"I'm not sure if he'll want to talk to you," muttered Nero.

"Where is he anyways?" Cypher surveyed the room.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions. . ." Nero observed, "He'll be here shortly. Just wait in here. Sleep if you wish. But remember, this room is monitored. I wouldn't try anything if I were you."

"Why don't you just kill me now?" Cypher muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me?" Nero asked suddenly.

"What? I was just wondering why you haven't killed me yet," Cypher spat bitterly.

"That's a good question. . ." Nero was reminded of a memory as he stood there, watching Cypher. Wu Zhang was once very handsome, very proper as well. But looking at this man before him, Nero was convinced that Wu Zhang had died a while ago, well at least his spirit. . .

_Dr. Nero strode up to the balcony that overviewed the lab. A beautiful, slender woman stood there, watching over the operations. Her black, silky hair fell delicately down the back of her stark white lab jacket and her pointed fingers curved firmly over the safety rail. Nero approached her. __  
__  
__"A penny for your thoughts," Nero said gliding silently beside her. He looked down at the working people below. It took all his effort not to face her and look dreamingly into her soft eyes. __  
__  
__"Hello, Max," Xiu Mei said quietly. __  
__  
__"Are you alright Xiu Mei?" Nero asked, concerned. __  
__  
__"Yes, I'm alright. I was just thinking about people who I care about," She glanced up for a millisecond then quickly looked back down. __  
__  
__This subject sparked Nero's attention, "Oh?"__  
__  
__"Yes. I care about you Max," She turned to face Nero. He surrendered to his impulse as he turned to face her. He also reached out, took her hand in his and caressed it slightly. __  
__  
__"I care about you too," Nero smiled down at the small figure in front of him. __  
__  
__"But, I also care about Wu Zhang," she continued, gently pulling her hand away from Nero. __  
__  
__Nero tried to cover up the sour look that began to creep up on his face. He failed. __  
__  
__"I'm going to marry him Max," She looked longingly down at where he worked at a long, white desk, "I love him. He's a good person. Why can't you see that?"__  
__  
__"We've never liked each other," Nero replied. He was shocked at her decision. He thought that Xiu Mei hated Wu Zhang. __  
__  
__"Well you should get to know him before you judge. I can assure you, you'd like him," Xiu Mei sighed and leaned against the rail, "I swear Max, when you're in love, you'll see. You'll look at the world in a completely new light!"__  
__  
__"I know. . ." Nero whispered.__  
_  
Yes that's right, he kept Cypher around because if she were alive, she would never forgive Nero for killing him.

Nero felt his blackbox vibrate. He reach instinctively towards it and his memory vanished.

"You don't want to answer my question?" Cypher asked impatiently.

"What?" Nero's head was elsewhere.

"Never mind. . ."

"I'll leave you alone Cypher," Nero hurried out of the room to answer his blackbox.

(o.o)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
()_()

"I was able to extract Wing safely and I've taken care of Trinity," Raven spoke clearly into her blackbox as she drove the ice cream truck down the streets of "Toronto."

"Good. Cypher is growing impatient," Nero answered with a relieved sigh.

"That scum," Raven growled, "Why do we even bother to cater to him?"

"Natalya, I believe that Cypher has something very important to say, I can feel it. If he's desperate to perform _Somnuin Rapio_ on his only son, then it must something of worth."

Raven scoffed, "I still don't trust him."

"I never said that I trusted him. I'm just interested in what he has to say," Nero replied calmly.

"Be careful Max. Cypher knows many tricks," Raven warned.

"I always am Raven. Besides, if he tries anything, then I have a highly skilled tactical team with me to contain him."

"Those security teams aren't always so reliable," Raven said with a crooked grin.

"That's why when you're not around, I'm always on the lookout. I'm going to get the equipment set up. Goodbye," Nero's face disappeared from Raven's blackbox.

Raven turned to look at Wing. His body was motionless and limp as he slouched against the passenger seat window. She was sad that she had to shoot him, even if it was a stun gun.

"We're almost there," she announced, half to Wing and half to herself.

* * *

**They are...they are. **

**One thing to bring up. I KNOW that the whole memory thing with Nero and Xiu Mei is off canon but I will have parts here and there that WILL be off canon. I'm sorry if that bothers you but a smidge off canon is good for the soul. Actually, now that I think about it, I have a big part coming up that is REALLy off canon...Just a warning ;)**

**So I'm going to post another poll on my profile. This one is about a certain editor of mine. (Three guesses who xD) So please check it out if you got an extra 30 seconds on hand!**

**I'm going on vacation this Friday! So When I'm back, (on the 20th) I'm hoping to see many reviews on this guy. Hehe, a girl can dream ;)**

**No really, please review. Even if it's to say 'Hi'. **

**And also I have weekly updates on my profile. If you want news on upcoming chapters and projects, then head on over there! :D**

**See ya in the next chapter,**

**~Reensie17 (^_^)**


	9. Shelby Experiences Somnium Rapio

**A/N: Hello everyone!**

**I had a thrilling experience last week. I was at a baseball game, (a perfect way to end a great summer!) and one of the players hit a very high ball. I didn't realize that it was coming towards me (typical) until last minute when I ducked out of the way. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. That was a first. Anyways the ball flinged by at top speed and skimmed my head. If I hadn't ducked, I would have probably gotten a really bad headache. It hit the seats behind me where my dad picked up the ball and waved it around in triumph. Meanwhile, I was crouched by my annoyed brother (he doesn't like it when people get in his bubble) and I was still in shock. So naturally I did what I normally did on a regular basis. I started to laugh hysterically.**

**Well my point in all of this was that it was a wonderful story to tell my mother and friends when we got back.**

**Wait...that's not my point.**

**My ACTUAL point is that life should be enjoyed even when you are a smidgen close to a tough situation. The rest of the game, I felt more...in spirit and happy. (It was a plus that the Yankees lost! Sorry to all of you NY fans out there hut it was tied until the bottom of the ninth!) Now my dad can say that he's caught a fair ball.**

**And now I can say that I nearly got whacked in the head with a fair ball.**

**UPDATE! Feb 20th: Okay so something got screwed up and one of my one shots replaced this chappy. I don't know how that happened. So I am super sorry if it made some of you go 0.o But I have replaced it *YAY!* And just to have an update FMN is still on Hiatus because I'm working on _It's a Bit of a Long Story_. After that gets rolling nicely, I will continue writiting and posting FMN.**

* * *

**Shelby: Umm...great story Reensie. But what does that have to do with the story?**

**Me: Honestly...I have no idea. I just felt like sharing a life lesson.**

**Shelby: Right...and how did that work out for you?**

**Me: Pretty good actually. If people are still reading this, then that means that they read the lesson.**

**Shelby: *Mutters* Or that they skipped everything and just came down here.**

**Me: SHHHHHHH! Don't give them that idea!**

**Shelby: I just did.**

**Me: -_- Thank you.**

**Shelby: Anytime!**

**Me: OH WOULD YOU JUST DO THE DISCLAIMER?**

**Shelby: Fine. Everything belongs to Mark Walden except for the part about the weird mysterious girl that you will soon read about.**

**Me: Way to ruin it.**

**Otto: SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED!**

**Me: Really Otto? We've been over this.**

* * *

Shelby looked up at the peculiar sky. It was green with little neon pink polka dots. The clouds were red, and shaped like bunnies…different types of bunnies. They were so close, that it was as if she could reach up and touch one. She tried to move her arm up to experiment, but she couldn't. Her body was glued to the ground. She screamed out to anyone who could hear her but that, as well, didn't have an affect. Her voice was muted. Suddenly the sky fell on the defenceless girl.

Everything went black, again.

_"She's alive."_

Shelby's eyes snapped open. This time she was in a valley. The hilled valley was vast and consisted of emerald grass, many flowers of several species and, in the distance, a wall of trees in every direction.

It was quiet. Unusually quiet.

Shelby frantically looked around, hoping to see the owner of the previous voice. She cautiously got up and looked around.

To the north, she saw trees. To the east, she saw flowers and a more distant layer of trees. To the south she saw the same. But to the west, she finally found something.

Or, more like someone.

She was gorgeous. Standing proud and tall, she moved slowly towards Shelby. The young woman was slender, and had long, wavy, ink black hair with a dark purple streak that coloured her long, side-swept bangs. She wore a long, white dress made of what could have been clouds. But the strangest part was her face. Olive toned and clear. But her mouth was curved into a smile. It was neither intimidating, nor smug. It was happy. It was infectious. Shelby found herself grinning broadly.

"Shelby. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said tranquilly.

"Hi," Shelby said, mesmerized.

"Shelby," the lady said, suddenly serious, "You have to listen to me. Stay calm and peaceful okay?"

Shelby nodded, slowly returning to normal.

"Good. Now you have to wake up. "

"What do you mean?"

"Wing has been taken somewhere. You need to follow him. Find him. I expect Zhang is telling him the truth. You need to listen to that conversation as well. It's important that he doesn't do this mission alone. He could get killed!" She said urgently.

"Killed?" Shelby asked. She was suddenly very angry.

"Shelby! Stay calm...PLEASE," that woman whispered nervously.

"What do you mean mission?" Shelby asked suspiciously. She felt very confused.

All of a sudden, a tornado erupted to the east. It quickly ate away at the scene. Stark white light appeared that the edge of the east. The monstrous tornado continued to devour the placid lea.

The beautiful woman was now deathly scared.

"Shelby! This is crucial! Please listen," She stuffed a piece of paper into Shelby's palm, "Use this when you are of need of me. Now this is the most important part: wake up. Wake up now!"

The tornado was now less than a kilometre away from them.

"Shelby. You have to wake up!" the woman begged.

"Is this tornado real?" Shelby yelled over the commotion.

"Of sorts. This is why Somnium Rapio is illegal. Wake up Shel! I have to go now!" she shouted back.

The woman disappeared. Shelby didn't even know her name.

The tornado was now close. Shelby could feel some grass near her break loose and join the swirl of nature.

100m left. The tornado was whooshing and whirling.

50m.

Shelby knew that she had to wake up. But she didn't know how.

25m.

Shelby felt her body surrender to the gushing winds.

10m. Shelby was lifted off of the ground.

She awoke.

She was in a jail cell. Was she still in the sector? Did it matter?

No. It didn't.

She needed to escape.

She needed to find Wing.

* * *

**Short chapter eh?**

**Well I've been working diligently on my new story.**

**If anyone is curious about what it's about then I have weekly updates available on my profile.**

**Catch ya on the flip side! ;)**

**~Reensie (^_^)**


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